Criminal Law Courts and Procedure

Researching Rape Trials: Methods, Ethics and Empirical Perspectives

Edited by Susan Leahy · Eithne Dowds · Siobhan Weare
Coming Soon Routledge Available August 2026

Specifications

ISBN-13
9781041010784
Publisher
Routledge
Publication
August 2026
Format
Hardback
Jurisdiction
U.K. ? Countri(es) for reference only

Details

Rape trials are inherently complex, often operating differently to other criminal trials. These trials are also complicated by the impact of societal attitudes about sexual offences, often referred to as rape myths, which can influence jurors’ deliberations in rape trials. This book explores the variety of ways in which rape trials can be researched in order to determine how the laws in this area are applied in practice, and the extent to which attitudes and broader societal contexts can influence the trial process.

Divided into three parts, Part I offers a guide on best practice in the various research methods which can be adopted to study rape trials. These include interviews with practitioners and victim-survivors; analysis of trial transcripts; trial observations; and jury research. Parts II and III provide a thematic overview of a variety of international case studies, demonstrating the rich insights which empirical research on rape trials can produce. All of the chapters are written by leading experts who have direct experience of conducting empirical research in this area.The book will be a valuable resource for a range of academics, practitioners, stakeholders and policy-makers researching and working in the area of sexual violence.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Susan Leahy, Eithne Dowds and Siobhan Weare

Part I: Research Methods and Ethics for Empirical Research on Rape Trials
1: Methodological and Ethical Considerations in Mock-Jury Research
Madeleine Millar and Siobhan Weare
2: Interviews with Professionals Who Work Within Rape Trials: Practical and Ethical Considerations
Eithne Dowds and Susan Leahy
3: Observing Sexual Offence Trials: Public/ Private Predicaments
Natalie Kyneswood
4: Research Design for Transcript Analysis Research Into Sexual Offence Trials
Julia Quilter and Luke McNamara
5: Interviews with Survivors
Grace Carter, Sarah West, and Emma Sleath

Part II: Researching with Juries in Rape Trials
6: Decision-Making in Rape Trials: A Gendered Lens
Rosie Cowan
7: Profiling Jury Bias in Rape Trials: Examining the Link Between Juror Characteristics and Trial Decisions
Dominic Willmott, Daniel Boduszek and Nigel Booth
8: 'All the World Is a Stage': The Role of Adversarialism, Advocacy and Assumption in Scottish Rape Trials
Vanessa E. Munro, Sharon Cowan and Eamon Keane

Part III: Empirical Insights on the Rape Trial Process and Procedures
9: The Impact of Statutory Reform on Sexual Offence Trials: Insights from Transcript Analysis Research in Australia
Julia Quilter and Luke McNamara
10: Bearing Witness: Insights from the Northern Ireland Court Observers' Panel
Louise Kennedy
11: Rape Law Reform and Practice: Perspectives from Criminal Barristers in England and Wales
Anna Carline and Clare Gunby
12: 'Telling Their Story'? Victim-Survivor Voice and Participation in Rape Trials and Research
Oona Brooks-Hay and Michele Burman

Conclusion: Researching Rape Trials: Conclusions and Future Directions
Susan Leahy, Eithne Dowds and Siobhan Weare
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